[6] From 1976 to 1982, she was an instructor in adult education at the Heimvolkshochschule [de] of the Bethel Foundation in Bielefeld;[1] she collaborated with the local Protestant and Catholic organisations for rural young people (Landjugend), and experienced the beginning of the ecological movement.

[3] She wrote a book related to the attempt to assassinate Hitler in the 20 July plot together with Lars-Broder Keil, Stauffenbergs Gefährten: Das Schicksal der unbekannten Verschwörer ("Stauffenberg's companions: The fate of the unknown conspirators"), which was published in 2013.

[7] In the 1970s, Vollmer was politically active in the Anti-Imperialist League (Liga gegen den Imperialismus [de]), close to the Maoist KPD/AO, but did not join the party.

Within the party, she called in "Grüner Aufbruch" for a bridge between the "Realos" and "Fundis", those adjusting to the realities of possible developments, and fundamental thinkers.

[3] In 2009, Vollmer was awarded the Mercator Visiting Professorship for Political Management at the Universität Essen-Duisburg's NRW School of Governance.

[11][17][18] Katrin Göring-Eckardt, vice president of the Bundestag then, said of Vollmer, "She was there from the beginning and fought through much of what we benefit from today.